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2018 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 Quick Spin Review | Beauty before brawn

The 2018 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 is an absolute beauty in person. And that's important, because, more than any other segment in the automotive marketplace, a personal luxury coupe has got to have the kind of attention-grabbing looks that can lead off the discussion about a brand-new vehicle. Like this one. It's also important because the name Red Sport 400 conjures up a kind of performance imagery that the Q60's hardware doesn't quite live up to. But before we delve into the world of horsepower and torque, let's finish talking about style. Like most luxury marques these days, Infiniti is working really hard to put a variant of its instantly recognizable corporate face on everything it sells. Unlike some other automakers — *cough* Lexus *cough* — Infiniti has been mostly successful in the styling-led marketing push without making each new car a caricature of the model it replaced. The fascia is dominated by a curvaceous chrome grille, which has little wing-shaped tabs that draw attention toward a dashing pair of headlights. These lighting units have LED elements that sort of form the shape of eye makeup, and while that could be a major styling misstep, it looks lovely on the Q60. Moving back from the face, there isn't a flat surface anywhere that might distract an onlooker from the overall cohesiveness of the design. The Q60's sheetmetal is pulled, pushed, and bunched like taffy strung across a whirling pair of beaters. If we were to lodge a complaint about the Q60's appearance, it would focus on the superfluous chrome-tipped gill slits just behind either front wheel and the too-small displacement badge nearby on the fenders. Both of these bits are unnecessary and seem like they were tacked on at the last minute. But those are small grievances that don't do much to distract from an otherwise cohesive design, and the chrome vents can be replaced with carbon fiber for an extra $395. It would be a sin to choose any color other than Dynamic Sunstone Red. This deep shade suits the Q60's flowing lines perfectly, and everyone who saw the car parked in our driveway had good things to say about the hue. Other colors are available, but ... just pick the red. The interior of out test car had seats in an off-white shade of leather that looks good, but was already showing wear and discoloration. We'd probably choose the red leather seats instead.

Infiniti Q50 sedan recalled over steering software glitch

The Basics: Infiniti will recall around 60,000 Q50 sedans globally due to a glitch in the software that controls the cars' direct adaptive steering system. It's this hardware and software that allows the Q50 to steer itself autonomously under certain conditions. A total of 28,182 Q50 sedans will be recalled in the US, with another 3,804 in Canada. We're not certain yet which model years will be recalled, but the direct adaptive steering debuted in 2014. The Problem: According to Infiniti spokesperson Stefan Weinmann, "in certain rare circumstances, just after starting the vehicle" a software glitch "can lead to a lack of steering responsiveness and change in turning radius." Injuries/Deaths: None reported. The Fix: Infiniti hasn't yet announced how it will fix the issue, but a software update seems likely. That means a trip to the dealership. If you own one: Expect to hear from the manufacturer later this month or next. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Infiniti Q50S 3.0t Recalls Infiniti Safety Technology Autonomous Vehicles Sedan infiniti q50

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"